Midland firefighter killed in apparent murder-suicide

MRT

Published
4:37 pm CDT, Friday, April 25, 2014

A Midland firefighter was pronounced deceased at the hospital following a shooting that led to a standoff and suicide on Friday.

Midland Police and Fire Departments responded to a shots fired call at approximately 2:33 p.m. Friday at a residence in the 2200 block of South Baird Street. Upon arrival, first responders found 35-year-old Henry "Trey" Rodriquez III outside of the residence with life-threatening gunshot wounds. He was transported to Midland Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased shortly after. A female was present at the time of the shooting but did not suffer any injuries.

Armed suspect Nestor Castro Jr., 35, proceeded to barricade himself inside the residence. Midland Police Department's tactical unit responded to the scene along with units from the Department of Public Safety, Midland County Sheriff's Office, Midland Independent School District Police, and several other agencies. Castro remained barricaded for several hours, and police utilized various non-lethal tactics to attempt to apprehend Castro before entering the residence. Castro was found deceased with self-inflicted gunshot wounds before 8 p.m.

MPD worked to process the scene late into Friday evening and is conducting a full investigation into the incident.

Rodriquez was a firefighter with the Midland Fire Department, where he worked for more than 10 years. MFD officials have asked that the public respect the family and department's privacy as they mourn the loss of their fellow firefighter.